Getting Started
Thank you for choosing to use DirectAdmin Web Control Panel on your server. Although DirectAdmin may seem simple to your customers, as an Admin you will soon realize that DirectAdmin is very sophisticated because it goes far beyond what is seen in the control panel interface.
Understanding the Permission Classes
There are three (3) permission classes in DirectAdmin:
Users are known as end customers or site owners – they are people that need hosting. They use DirectAdmin to create e-mail accounts, upload files to their site, add subdomains, etc. The User panel allows them to do this.
Resellers are also Users. Resellers, however, have both a User panel to modify their own web site and a Reseller panel that allows them to create User accounts.
Admins are Users and Resellers. Admins also have an Admin panel that allows them to create Resellers and manage the server.
Switching Between Your User, Reseller, and Admin Panel
When you sign into DirectAdmin you will see your Admin panel. To switch to your User or Reseller panel, click the "User Panel" or "Reseller Panel" link at the very bottom left-hand corner of your screen. To switch back, click the "Admin" link at the very bottom left-hand corner of your screen.
Signing in as Your Customers
Admins have the ability to sign into the control panel as any User on the server. To do so, login like this:
login: your-username|customer-username
password: your-password
The character between your username and the customer username is a pipe (|). It is the symbol usually on the backslash key on your keyboard (hold down shift + backslash to get the pipe).
This feature is useful because you don't need the customer's password when they want you to check the functioning of their panel.
Setting Your E-Mail Address in the Control Panel
When you create a Reseller or User account, you can tell DirectAdmin to send an e-mail containing all account details to that customer. If you choose to use this feature, you should set the proper e-mail address in your control panel, as these automatically generated e-mails will use that address in the "From:" field (making it look like you sent the message personally).
To set this e-mail address, sign into your control panel and switch to your User panel. Click the "Statistics / Logs" icon and enter your e-mail address in the appropriate field, then click "Save."
Use Site-Helper.com to Support Your Customers
Full documentation for the control panel is available to your customers at http://www.site-helper.com for Users andhttp://reseller.site-helper.com for Resellers. Site-Helper.com is a generic help site that all hosts can use to support their customers. Or, if you prefer, you may copy Site-Helper's content and adapt it to make your own manuals (we allow all companies using DirectAdmin to borrow our documentation).
Make a Decision about the Built-in Ticket Support System
DirectAdmin features a built-in ticket support system that allows customers to contact you directly through the control panel. If you prefer to offer support in a different way, you should disable the built-in support system before creating customer accounts. Please see the documentation on the message system for more information.
Read the Admin Tech Notes
The Administrator Technical Notes are available here. These notes discuss the functioning and configuration of DirectAdmin.
Need more help?
Please contact your hosting company for more assistance, or visit the DirectAdmin support forum athttp://www.directadmin.com/forum.
